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Thread: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

  1. #1

    Default Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Hi All:

    I am a 66 yo gigging guitarist who has owned and sometimes played a Rover RM-50 for 10 years. As a recent retiree, I want to play more and would like to upgrade my current axe.

    A couple of must haves:

    Radiused Fretboard
    Wide Nut

    I have no preference of F to A shape. I would not know the difference!!

    My budget is around 1K new or preferably pre owned.

    Any and all thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.

    Regards
    Ron

  2. #2
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Used, A style. Check the classifieds on this site. But radiused fretboard and wide nut may be hard to find at that price point. Eastman or Kentucky are the brands in that price range, although I don't know which models, if any, have both those characteristics.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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  3. #3
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Checkout the Breedlove A's. The American made ones have a radiused fingerboard that is a bit wider than many alternatives in that range. I know a guy with two of them and the both sound very good for that price range.

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  5. #4
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    What guitar(s) do you play?
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  6. #5
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Good quality A-body with a radius fret board for ~$1k is easy. Wide nut (and jumbo frets, you didn't mention them but you want them, trust me) is harder.

    I'm thinking a used Kentucky KM-950? Reverb has one for $1225 right now, but it's in Spain.

    Without the wide nut:

    Elderly has a used Eastman 605 for $875. 605 comes from the factory with a built in pickup. They're a forum sponsor, so you can trust them. I've bought from them before several times.

    Any new Eastman 505. I like the 505/CC for matt finish & the "bindingless" body.

    Several outlets still have the limited edition Eastman 505/BK-LTD with the black adirondack spruce top for ~$1099 or less. My next mandolin will have an Adirondack top.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  7. #6
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    Used, A style. Check the classifieds on this site. But radiused fretboard and wide nut may be hard to find at that price point. Eastman or Kentucky are the brands in that price range, although I don't know which models, if any, have both those characteristics.
    He wants a Kentucky KM-950 Master Model, and who can blame him. Tough at that price point, though. Even used.

    There's also the Bourgeois M5A. I've only ever seen one for sale used. It's on Reverb now for $1900. Is OP a sucker for a blond? Because I am.

    Just throwing it out there - Big Muddy Jumbo with a wide nut? Depending on options it's doable for his price. It's not a 'grasser, though.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  8. #7

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    What guitar(s) do you play?
    Yamaha
    Yairi
    Guild
    Fender
    PRS
    EBMM

    And my beloved Art and Lutherie parlor!!

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  10. #8

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Wide nut? standard is OK. You've just got to think in pairs. The distance between pairs, centre of one pair to the centre of the next pair, is the same, or a touch more, than the distance between strings on your electric guitar.

  11. #9
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by rdamato View Post
    Yamaha
    Yairi
    Guild
    Fender
    PRS
    EBMM

    And my beloved Art and Lutherie parlor!!
    I’m just curious because one of the loose aphorisms around here holds that you should expect to pay twice as much for an archtop mandolin as a flattop guitar of equivalent quality. So a $1K mandolin would be roughly the equal of a $500 guitar you might play.

    https://reverb.com/item/80179558-bre...f-2000-s-satin

    https://reverb.com/item/80032986-breedlove-quartz-2011

    https://reverb.com/item/80380822-breedlove-quartz-of
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  12. #10
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    A Big Muddy with jumbo body and wide fretboard would make a nice answer for you...I have one that I bought used from Reverb, and it's a killer! The tone is deeper which a guitarist night appreciate, and the wider fretboard is quite comfortable.

  13. #11

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Eastman does not make a wide nut and their standard is a bit narrower than the nominal 1 1/8”. Northfield Calhoun (WN) might work, if you can find one. Maybe Big Muddy, but their website is not clear on whether that is an option. Good luck to OP - the parameters are pretty limiting (IMO).

  14. #12
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    I've always found their website to be very clear, with every model offered in regular, jumbo body (mandola body with a mandolin neck), wide nut, and jumbo/wide.

    Big Muddy is a flat top, oval hole mandolin, as is the Northfield Calhoun. The flat top drastically cuts back on the amount of hand tool work that goes into their construction, which is reflected in their more affordable price. It's also reflected in their tone, which is warmer and perhaps not as loud as arch top f hole mandolins.

    That's not BAD. It's just that if you're looking for that Bill Monroe bluegrass mandolin sound then a flat top mandolin isn't likely to give you that.

    If, however, the tone you're looking for is simply "not a guitar" then Big Muddy can offer that up for sure. There's a lot of optional upgrades, like Adirondack top, flame sugar maple back & sides, jumbo body, wide nut, James tailpiece... Why do I have my credit card out? Why is my mouse hovering over the Order button...? What was that clicking noise? Oh dear Lord, I may have made a tiny mistake...
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

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  16. #13
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by keith.rogers View Post
    Good luck to OP - the parameters are pretty limiting (IMO).
    His parameters are clear & very popular with mandolin buyers. It's just his (much like my) budget that's limiting.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  17. #14
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    I’m just curious because one of the loose aphorisms around here holds that you should expect to pay twice as much for an archtop mandolin as a flattop guitar of equivalent quality. So a $1K mandolin would be roughly the equal of a $500 guitar you might play.

    https://reverb.com/item/80179558-bre...f-2000-s-satin

    https://reverb.com/item/80032986-breedlove-quartz-2011

    https://reverb.com/item/80380822-breedlove-quartz-of

    Man, those are nice. And all with wide nut. I particularly like the 3rd one (sucker for a blond).
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

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  19. #15
    Registered User JiminRussia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    I went with the Goldtone Pancake style, mainly because it is closest to a Flatiron 1N that I can find and is 1/2 the price. Just look at the specs. It is all solid and sometimes fancy figured Maple with a real Mahogany neck and decent tuners. It is LOUD and it even has a zero fret to eliminate all of those pesky nut problems. I say “sometimes” fancy because you need to see the actual mandolin that you are buying because they vary so much in the figure in the woods used. I found a good one and with a bit of shopping around, you can too.
    There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

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  20. #16
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    All good advice above. Any of the three Breedloves linked to Reverb will check your boxes. I also play guitar, bass, uke, banjo (well, I own one and can play a few songs on it), and octave mando, so I'm constantly changing between fretboards with different widths. My guitars are 1 11/16, 1 3/4, and 1 7/8. Acoustic mandolins are 1 1/8, 1/3/16, and 1 1/4. Do I notice a difference when I switch between them? Absolutely. At this point, though, it only takes a few seconds to adapt. Back in the day maybe a couple of minutes? Honestly, I have more trouble if I go from one of the narrower guitars (both of which folks consider "standard") to the 1 7/8 board on guitar or vice-versa than I do with the mandolins. Again, though, it only takes a short time to adapt.

    So, if the wide nut options you can find around $1000 don't appeal to you, consider trying out a 1 1/8 if you can. But I think any of those Breedloves would work for you. Also, keep an eye out for a Rigel A style. Sometimes the most basic of those can be found used in the vicinity of your budget. My wide nut is a CT-110 (closer to $3000), but the neck is pretty similar to their A-styles I've played, and very comfortable.

    Good luck in your search, and let us know what you pick!
    Chuck

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  22. #17
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Also, a Howard Morris mandolin just popped up in the classifieds, reminding me that he builds some excellent instruments that can be found at your preferred price point. I'm not sure if he builds wide nut mandolins or not, though.
    Chuck

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  24. #18

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by CES View Post
    Also, a Howard Morris mandolin just popped up in the classifieds, reminding me that he builds some excellent instruments that can be found at your preferred price point. I'm not sure if he builds wide nut mandolins or not, though.
    His standard mandolins have a pretty narrow nut. They're very nice though.

    Flat tops are great too! I love my Flatiron and would recommend one to most people unless you are playing a lot of bluegrass and want a chunky chop. I haven't gotten to play a Big Muddy but it seems like one of their wide nut models would fit your bill.

    You could also find a higher end Eastman A used for close to that budget - I love my 805 and it was $1300 used. I think they make wide nuts too.

  25. #19

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    If you could stretch you budget a little this would fit pretty much fill all your list -

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/215480#215480

  26. #20
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Northwest Steve View Post
    If you could stretch you budget a little this would fit pretty much fill all your list -

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/215480#215480
    Kentucky KM-950 master model. A body, radius fretboard, wide nut, jumbo frets. That’s the one he wants.

    $1399 is a good price, as I’m fairly sure they retail right at $2k. And the seller, mandomutt, is a well known & respected forum poster.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  27. #21
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Buckingham View Post
    Checkout the Breedlove A's. The American made ones have a radiused fingerboard that is a bit wider than many alternatives in that range. I know a guy with two of them and the both sound very good for that price range.
    Just to emphasize: US Breedloves get better reviews than imported Breedloves.
    Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)

  28. #22
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by CES View Post
    Also, a Howard Morris mandolin just popped up in the classifieds, reminding me that he builds some excellent instruments that can be found at your preferred price point. I'm not sure if he builds wide nut mandolins or not, though.
    Howard has a real good reputation, and his mandolins are considered as good as more expensive brands.
    Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)

  29. #23

    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    Yeah, Sonny makes very nice no-frills instruments at quite affordable prices. I love my F5 from him.
    I guess I'll just stay right here, pick and sing a while...
    2022 Morris F5 #482, 1995 Flatiron 2MB, 2013 Don Kawalek flat top, 2004 Eastman 805

  30. #24
    I guess I'll just stay right here, pick and sing a while...
    2022 Morris F5 #482, 1995 Flatiron 2MB, 2013 Don Kawalek flat top, 2004 Eastman 805

  31. #25
    Registered User Caberguy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice on mandolin Upgrade

    I know that some people dig the Breedloves, and my experience with them is a sample size of one Breedlove Premier OF. that I played alongside the Kentuky KM-500 and an Eastman MD-505 that I was checking out, but I honestly thought that both the imports ate the Breedlove for lunch.
    '91 Flatiron Signature A5 / Silverangel Econo A / Eastman MD-315

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